


I truly am indeed, alone again (naturally)

by Jauxter



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Family Feels, Gen, Hurt No Comfort, Phil and Techno are only mentioned, Swearing, Tubbo is only there for like a second, i geuss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:27:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27582697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jauxter/pseuds/Jauxter
Summary: Everything's gone to shit and Tommy is quite frankly at the end of his rope. Wilbur clearly isn't who he used to be and is never really all in one place. His eyes are cloudy and a constant, thick air of paranoia surrounds him. Technoblade might as well not be there at all, preferring to keep to himself, becoming even more withdrawn after the Festival. The few times he's seen his brothers in the same room as of late were accompanied by a heavy, nearly unbearable tension. Despite these facts, Tommy is holding together just fine, really!Right..?
Relationships: No Romantic Relationship(s)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 123





	I truly am indeed, alone again (naturally)

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! So this is the first time I’ve written anything like this and I am so goddamn nervous to post it. I’ve literally been fighting myself not to write this for actual weeks, but after many nights of y’know, doing that thing where you’re trying to go to sleep and you make up stories as you do so, I was too deep into this world building bullshit that I couldn’t go back. I’ve been reading almost everything in these tags lately and I cannot stop and everything is so good, so I figured it was high time I contribute something myself. 
> 
> Sorry if this isn't great and/or OOC. For some reason I could only bring myself to write in the dead of night, and theres only so much that grammarly can do :/ 
> 
> (Title from Gilbert O'Sullivan- Alone Again (Naturally))

It had all started with just a little prank. Just a joke, not even meant to involve Wilbur in the first place. That’s where things started going to absolute shit that day. 

The sun was just setting over the horizon, red and orange light filling the space between silhouettes of the forest outside Pogtopia. Deep in the hidden ravine, Tommy and Tubbo sat on the ground across from one another, each with a mortar and pestle in hand. They idly chatted as they worked diligently to grind up the most offending bright color of dye they could muster, interrupted by an occasional yawn. The previous night had been spent planning and gathering resources for the prank and they had both spent most of the day napping.

The plan had been simple- Sneak into Manburg’s livestock pens, dye the sheep some outrageous color, rendering the wool useless, then get out before sunrise. 

A low-risk task with a decently satisfying payoff. Just meant to be a break from the positively rancid vibes that generally seemed to follow them around as of late. 

Of course, it couldn’t have been that easy. Nothing ever seemed to be that easy anymore.

“-and that’s how I discovered that you should never fuck with guardians!” Tubbo finished off his story with a slightly pained grin, rolling his sleeve back down over the thick scar running up his arm, clearly recently acquired. Tommy hummed mildly in agreement, focus returning to the tools in his hands, the air filled with nothing but the quiet sounds of far-away trickling of water and pigments being ground into a fine powder. They worked in comfortable silence for a few minutes, broken eventually by a sigh from Tubbo. 

“I’m out of pigment, I’ll have to go up and get some more…” He muttered as he moved to stand up, stumbling slightly. Tommy let out a small laugh.

“Hey, mind your step on the way up, yeah? Wouldn’t want to have to peel you off the floor before we leave.” Tommy grinned up at Tubbo, who just rolled his eyes and turned to begin his ascent up the stairs. As Tubbo disappeared from his sight, Tommy returned his gaze to his hands, calloused and scarred, but still nimble and sleight, the repetitive motion of grinding the pigment allowing him to let his mind be still for once. After some time, he heard footfalls echo off the walls of the ravine and stiffened slightly. Tubbo was still up in the storage room and Techno had already left for his base that afternoon, likely not to return until the next day. That left only one candidate- Wilbur. 

Lately, Tommy had dreaded any interaction with Wilbur. It would be a miracle if their conversation didn’t end with shouting and anger. It was exhausting even being in the same room as him for too long, his foul mood seemingly permeating everyone around him. 

Tommy knew that something was terribly wrong with Wilbur. He understood the feelings Wilbur was having all too well himself. The whole experience was so unbelievably, well, depressing; but Tommy steeled his resolve and had put everything he had left into keeping himself put together. It didn’t matter that his brothers were hardly his brothers anymore- he'd deal with that later. He had a goal, and he would see it through, dammit! And so far, it had worked out just fine.

The footfalls came to a stop just behind him, but he refused to acknowledge the man behind him for as long as he could, putting even more of his focus onto his hands.

“What are you doing Tommy?” The question was flat, with just the barest hints of frustration. Oh boy, Tommy can already tell this will be fun.

“What’s it matter to you?” He snaps back, quip coming out a little harsher than he intended. He sees Wilbur’s expression sour almost instantly. Oh well, it was bound to escalate eventually anyway. Might as well get it over with.

“What’s it matter to me? Tommy, there are literally dozens of more useful things you could be doing rather than... whatever it is you’re doing right now,” Wilbur grits out, angrier than Tommy had originally pinned him to be. “We’ve been sitting in this fucking ravine, doing jack shit, for too long! We need a better plan, and I’m thinking we should-”

“Wilbur, I think I’m gonna stop you there,” Tommy says, suddenly rising to his feet. “I’m going to be honest with you-” Wilbur narrows his eyes.

“What?” He snarls out quickly. Tommy takes a breath.

“Wilbur, you are off you fucking rocker if you think I’m gonna help you with whatever insane bullshit you’re planning on doing this time,” Tommy says, doing his best to hold eye contact, stamping down any facial expressions that would give away how he felt. Wilbur looks like he's had a metaphorical rug pulled out from under him, but it only takes a second for him to regain his footing. 

"What the fuck, Tommy? What makes you think that was a request?" Wilbur takes a step forward, the few inches he has over Tommy seeming a lot more substantial than usual.

"And what makes you think that I have to listen to you?" Tommy steps forward as well, jabbing a finger into Wilbur's chest.

"You're not the president anymore Wil, you said it yourself." Wilbur's expression darkens even more, yet Tommy can find it in himself to regret saying it. The statement was supposed to hurt, and he's pleased that it did just that. 

"I may not be the president anymore Tommy, but I am your brother." Wilbur seethes, teeth clenched and going a little red in the face. The space between them feels charged, like a rubber band stretched out taut. The sprawling ravine that is Pogtopia suddenly feels small and restricting to Tommy.

"Yeah, well you know what Wilbur? It sure doesn't fucking feel like it." As soon as the words leave his mouth Tommy can feel something in him fracture a little bit, previous anger morphing into something heavier, something darker. He can feel himself physically deflate a little, shoulders rolling forward. Suddenly, he tilts his head toward the ceiling of the ravine, unwilling to meet Wilbur's gaze any longer.

"You've lost it, Wilbur, I honestly don't know what you want from me anymore." Tommy starts, voice scratchy and sounding more tired than before.

"All you do is talk about tearing down anything and everything that remains of what we fought for. You speak about the others as though you never knew them at all." Tommy can feel a lump forming in his throat, choking his words a bit. He hates that now, of all times, is when he finally breaks. His arms cross over his chest defensively.

"I've sacrificed just as much as you in these wars. I've been here too. It's not all about you Wil." Tommy refuses to look at Wilbur yet. He can feel the tears rolling down his cheeks, but he'll be damned if he acknowledges them. His gaze drops to the cold, stone floor. 

"You never act like my brother anymore. You used to care, Wilbur. Why is that so hard for you now?" His eyes flick around, resting anywhere but on Wilbur's face.

The air in the cavern is stifling. Tommy feels a wrenching pain in his chest. A hand is brought up to scrub at his face, the other fiddling with the hem of his shirt.

"You wonder what Phil would think of you now, yeah? Wil, he'd think you were a fucking idiot, and really, I'm thinking that I agree with him." 

The bags under his eyes feel heavy- in fact, his whole body feels heavy. Tommy's almost certain he's the most tired he's ever been, wanting nothing more than to go lay down and take the longest nap he's ever taken.

Finally, he looks back at Wilbur's face with a small sniffle. Wilbur's face is neutral, the only indication of any emotion is in his eyes- they look clearer than they have in days. Tommy can't bring himself to care very much. 

The silence persists for a moment longer.

"Tommy-" Wilbur starts, but before he can get another word in, Tommy's anger returns, burning even hotter than before.

"Don't you fucking "Tommy" me Wilbur!" Tommy shouts, tears that had begun to slow start spilling down his cheeks once again.

"You know what? You fucked me up! It's your fault I'm like this!" His voice echoes off the walls of the cave, unable to stop himself now that the gates are open. Wilbur opens his mouth as if to speak, but Tommy cuts him off again.

"You don't- you don't give a shit about me anymore, do you?" Tommy's voice is now quiet, the change in atmosphere dramatic. A brief silence hangs between them, all that is heard is Tommy's slightly labored breathing, the faint trickle of water, and the crackle of lanterns. The grey stone expanse of the ravine feels cold and empty.

"I wish you had never come here."

Before he can consider what he's doing, Tommy has pushed past Wilbur and practically flies up the stone steps. He breaks down the dirt lining of the entrance and doesn't bother blocking it back up. 

He runs. He runs and doesn't look back.

\-----

Wilbur snaps out of his shock too late, for when he gives chase, the only indication that Tommy has been through is the unblocked entrance to the ravine. Skidding to a stop just outside the small hill of Pogtopia, still breathing heavily, Wilbur looks around as though he's been looking through clouded lenses and is only just seeing clearly.

The last rays of the setting sun are fading from the sky over the forest. It's beginning to get chilly, but not too cold. A gentle breeze filters through the leaves of red, orange, and yellow. The grass is lush and green, still benefiting from the rain from a few days back.

No leads on a fleeing brother.

Wilbur sinks to the ground, knees of his pants dampening immediately. He feels numb, mind reeling as it attempts to process what just occurred. 

He stays there on the ground for a good while, head too foggy for truly coherent thoughts. Eventually, he vaguely makes out a voice calling to him. If he were more aware, he would realize it was Tubbo. Instead, he sinks further onto the ground, eyes blank, folding his long limbs up as best as he can to make himself as small as possible, the chill in the air feeling far worse than before. 

How had he let it come to this?

**Author's Note:**

> hey! if u liked this, a comment would b really awesome and cool of u :) I definitely would like to write more because I have so much World Building and Other Stuff in my head and like many authors, comments fuel me and its always nice to hear if you’d like more. I've already got a few SBI family-type stories in the works, so if that's your jam maybe keep an eye out :)


End file.
